The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-25
FRATRICIDE.
A Horrible Affair Resulting in
the Death of John Jones.
KILLED WITH BIRD-SHOT
King Alcohol stirs Up Bad Blood-A
Fatal Quarrel Between Brothers
The Murderer's Appearance.

Yesterday morning it was reported on
the street that murder had been COM
mitted in the first precinct of South
Weber. 1t was utterly impossible to
get straight particulars in the city, and
representatives of the Ogden Herald and
this paper went to the scene of the
tragedy.
1t seems that Rees Jones, the man
who committed the frightful deed, is
native of Wales, and came to the United
States in 1858. He Joined the Union
army during the rebellion, and received
a wound in the body in an engagement,
and has been government pensioner
for number of years. John Jones, his
brother and the victim of Wednesdays
quarrel, came to the United States in
1857. and went to work in the iron
works at Pittsburg. Pa. In 1876 he
came to Utah, and settled in South
Weber. While at Pittsburg he lost his
wife by death, and married another
woman. whom he brought to Utah,
but they never lived happily
together, and little more than
year ago separated and have not
lived together since. Rees Jones came
to Utah a year later than his brother
John and settled upon quarter section
of land at South Weber. Later he
claims to have given his brother John
sixty acres of land and it is said that
John thought he had some kind of
claim on twenty acres more. Recently
Rees Jones sold his land to John Jones,
Jr., his brothers son, and it seems that
John Jones, ST., did not like the trans
action and had the idea that the family
was trying to cheat him out of his
rights. On Tuesday last Rees Jones
pension, and according to a long.
established habit got drunk and took a
quantity of alcohol home with him. On
Wednesday he and John were drinking
and having general good time. John,
it seems, had been living at Rees Jones'
cabin for week past while he was putt
ting in the spring crops. Late IN the
afternoon, Wednesday, Rees Jones left
the cabin TO get some butter, and Oh
tanning the article returned to his
house, and not feeling very well lay
down upon the bed. During his alb
sence John had drank more of the
fiery alcohol and, as Rees says, became
very abusive and without provocation
jumped onto Rees as the latter lay on
the bed. H knocked bin off the bed
to the floor, where Rees lay pinned in
between the cabin wall and a barrel of
-four and stamped his head and face in
the most brutal manner. In tine mean
time Rees was beseeching his brother,
to let him alone, but without avail, and
in, chaar ha
away from the infuriated and brutal
John and ran out on the farm some
distance, where he waited until his
brother mounted his horse and rode
away. Then Rees went to saddle his
own horse to follow him, but the horse
got away and followed the horse John
was riding. Thereupon Rees took his
gun in his hand and started toward the
Weber bottom, the ilection taken by
his BROTHER. He had got nearly to the
brow of the hill when he met John re-
turning, and they came together within
few feet, when Rees raised his gun, an
old army musket loaded with No.
shot, and told his brother he was going
to kill him. John replied ''All right
Rees, +" and the words were no sooner
spoken than report was heard and
John Jones fell from his horse with the
full charge of shot in his right breast.
John Jones, Jr., who had caught his
uncle's horse, was within about fifty
PAGES of the scene of the tragedy, but I'M
der the brow of the hill out of sight. He
heard the last words spoken, however,
and fastening forward met his fathers
slayer within few steps of the dying |
mans body, when his uncle told him
what he had done. The son proceeded |
to the PROSTATE form of his father, and |
tried to get him to recognize him, but |
without success. In the meantime Rees |
had gone on to the house of John |
Jones, Jr., and told him that he had |
killed "old Jack" and the lady ran to |
the spot, distant about half q mile, |
where she found the old man Just |
breathing for the last time. After tell
ing the lady of his crime, the murderer |
went to David Jones, another brother, |
and also informed him of what had |
occurred, and then proceeded to the
residence ofMr. Farley P. Prophet, the
Justice Of the peace, and gave himself
up, and was turned over to the con-
stable.
In the meantime, the body of John
Jones had been conveyed to the resi-
dence of his son, and later an inquest
was held over the remains Prosecut-
ing Attorney Joseph Barton was mott
fed, and also Sheriff Wiley, of Boun-
tifuI. The fratricide was guarded all
night by the constable and his aids. and
when our reporter reached South
Weber, yesterday morning, the prisoner
was sitting on the south side OF .the
house. and ives one of the first per
sons who met the inquiry for
particulars. The prisoners appearance
is simply frightful. The whole top OF
his head. forehead and face were
bruised .blackened and swollen while the
back part of his head was raised In
Jumps where the heel of his brother's
b ,ot had struck it and on the wnoie ne
was decidedly the worst LOOKING Vlctim
of q severe beating ever SEEN.